Windrow pickup machine



March 28, 1950 J. JOHNSON WINDROW PICKUP MACHINE Fi led Oct. 29, 1948 INVEN TOR.

J'OH/V JOHNSON ATTOR/VEVS Patented Mar. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE WINDROW PICKUP MACHINE John Johnson, Brockton, Mont. ApplicationOctober 29, 1948, Serial No. 57,263

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a windrow pick-up machine, and moreparticularly to an improved straw-Walker bar and pick-up finger assemblyfor such a machine.

It is among the objects of the invention .to provide an improvedstraw-walker bar or lifting bar and pick-up finger assembl for a windrowpick-up machine, which assembly includes a straw-walker bar having atits lower end a movable pick-up finger pivotallyconnected to the bar andspring biased to its normal operative position in which it constitutesanuninterrupted continuation of the bar, such pick-up finger being movablerelative to the bar against the force of a spring when an obstruction,such as a large stone or stump, is encountered, to avoid damage to theassembly, and which walker-bar and pick-up finger assembly is of simpleand durable construction, and includes a pick-up finger having an outeror distal end firmly engageable with the ground to gather up all of thematerial in a windrow without skipping, and which will pick up andconvey small pieces of material and loose seed, as well as thelargerpieces of material, such as hay or straw.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a windrow pickup machine includingstraw-walker bar and pick-up finger assemblies, illustrative of theinvention, operatively mounted thereon, portions being broken away andshown in cross-section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a fragmentary portion of the assemblyincluding the pick up finger and the adjacent portion of the strawwalkerbar;

Figure 3 is a side elevation ofa straw-walker bar and pick-up fingerassembly, a portion being broken away and shown in cross-sectionsubstantially in the plane of the section line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of the assemblyillustrated in Figure 3, showing the operation of the pick-up fingerwhen encountering an obstruction, such as a stone.

With continued reference to the drawing, the improved pick-up machinecomprises, in general. a U-shaped main frame l supported at its-frontend on a pair of caster-wheel assemblies I! and at its rear end by apivoted hitch 12 adapted to be secured'to the guard or sickle bar of anassociated harvester-threshercombination, a

pair of crankshafts l3 and I4'journa1ed on the main frame, an outersub-frame l5 and an inner sub-frame 16 mounted on the crank pins of saidcrankshafts, a plurality of straw-walker bars I! mounted on saidsub-frames by suitable bracket and link assemblies, pick-up fingers I8extending downwardl and forwardly from the front ends of thestraw-walker bars to engage th ground at the front end of the machine,and spring. means l9 resiliently holding the pick-up fingers inground-engaging position.

The main frame In is preferably a U-shaped, tubular structure havinglegs 20 inclined up- Wardly and forwardly near the front open end of theframe and having at its rear end a transverse bight portion 2|.

Each of the wheel assemblies comprises a bracket 22 secured to the frontend of the corresponding frame leg 20 and having a substantiallyvertical, intermediate portion with apertured end portions 23 extendingforwardly from the intermediate portion, a post 24 extending through andj'ournaled in the apertures of the end portions 23 of the bracket withits upper end above the corresponding frame leg and its lower portioninclined downwardly and rearwardly to provide a wheel-carrying arm 25,the end of which is perpendicularly extended to provide an axle 26 forthe corresponding caster wheel 21.

.A bracket 28 is secured to the upper end of the post 24 and has anoutwardly-extending apertured arm through which extends a threaded pin29, the lower end of which is connected to the upper end of a tensionspring 35!. The lower end of spring 30 is connected by a suitable eye 3|to the front end of the corresponding frame leg 20. Pin 29 is adjustablysecured to the bracket 28 by a nut and lock-nut assembly 32, so that thetension on the spring can be varied to raise and lower the front end ofthe frame relative to the wheel El. A cylindrical cam element surroundsand rotatively receives the post 24 and has its upper end secured to theunder-side of the upper-bracket portion 23, and its lower end diagonallycut to cooperate with the diagonall cut upper end of a similar camelement 34 secured on the post 24 between the bracket end portions 23.With this arrangement, when the machine is turned, the caster wheelswill rotate the posts and the corresponding brackets 22, and theoperatively associated cam elements 33 and 34 of each wheel assemblywill raise the front end of the machine to lift the lower ends of thepick-up fingers from. the ground, so that these fingers do not drag onthe ground during the turning of the machine. and will not be bent orbroken by lateral forces imposed thereon.

The hitch assembly l2 comprises a pivotplate 35 secured-to the rear sideof the bight 2i of the frame substantially at the mid-length location ofthe latter, and a flat hitch bar 35 extending along the rear side of theframe bight substantially parallel to the latter. This hitch bar ispivotally secured to the frame by pivot bolt 31 extending through thecenter of the pivot plate 35, and is provided near each end with arearwardly-extending, apertured lug 38, which lug are attached by meansof suitable brackets 39 to the guard or sickle bar 40 of theharvesterthresher combine. A pair of substantially vertical plates M issecured to the frame bight, one near each end thereof, and a respectiveG-clip Q2 is secured to each plate 4! to overlie the corre spondin endof the hitch bar 36 to hold the ends of the hitch bar to the main frameand minimize end strains in the hitch assembly during turning of themachine. The pivotal connection between the hitch bar and the main frameof the pick-up machine permits the combine and the windrow pick-upmachine to tilt or rock relative to each other as the two machines passtogether over rough or uneven ground, so that the attachment of thepick-up machine to the combine imposes no undue strain on eithermachine.

A cross-member 53 extends transversely across the frame it and issecured at its opposite end to the legs Ell near the mid-length locationof the latter to reinforce the frame and hold the front ends of the legs20 against movement relative to each other. This cross-member is bentdownwardly so that it extends across the frame below the level of theframe legs and does not interfere with the operation of the machine.

The two spaced-apart, substantially parallel crankshafts l3 and I 4 arejournaled near their opposite ends in pillow blocks 43 mounted on themain frame legs 28 intermediate the length of the latter, the two shaftsbeing journaled, one near each end of each pillow block and secured inoperative position on the pillow blocks by corresponding bearing caps 44secured to the tops of the pillow blocks. Each of these crankshafts hasat each end an arbor journaled in the corresponding, frame-carriedpillow block, has an intermediate portion in axial alignment with theend arbors, and has between each end arbor and the adjacent end of theintermediate portion a pair of crank throws, the pins of which arerotationally spaced apart approximately 180 degrees, the axes of all ofthe pins being substantially in a common plane.

The outer sub-frame I 5 is a rectangular structure having similar,parallel end-walls 5! in the form of vertically-disposed, rectangularplates extending transversely of the frame, and sidewalls or members 5%in the form of angle irons secured at their opposite ends to thespacedapart end-Walls 5 i. This first or outer sub-frame is supported onthe outer crank pins of the two cranlzshafts by a pair of pillow blocksattached one to the top of each of the side members 58, so that when thetwo crankshafts rotate in the proper direction the sub-frame will moveforwardly. upwardly, rearwardly, and then downwardly.

The second, or inner sub-frame I6 is also a rectangular body havingend-walls 54 in the form of vertically-disposed, rectangular platesextending transversely of the frame and in spaced-apart, substantiallyparallel relationship to each other, and side-members 53 in the form ofspacedapart, substantially parallel angle irons connected at theiropposite ends to the two end-walls 54 near the lower edges of thelatter. This inner sub-frame is journaled on the inner crank pins of thetwo crankshafts l3 and M by suitable pillow blocks 55 secured one on theupper surface of each of the side-members 53. The inner or sub-frame 15thus has a movement similar to the movement of the outer sub-frame I5when the two crankshafts are rotated, but displaced degrees from therotational phase of the outer sub-frame. The inner sub-frame is shorterthan the outer sub-frame by an amount sufiicient to permit freeclearance of the adjacent endwalls of the two sub-frames as thesub-frames are revolved about the axes of the two crankshafts.

A plurality of upstanding, forwardly-inclined brackets 56 are secured insubstantially, uniformly, spaced-apart relationship to the rear endwallof the outer sub-frame l5 and a plurality of similar, upstanding,rearwardly-inclined brackets 51 are secured to the front end-wall ofthis outer sub-frame. The brackets 55 and 51 are provided with aperturesin their upper ends and respective links 58 are pivotally secured attheir lower ends to the upper ends of brackets 56, while respectivelinks 59 are pivotally secured at their lower end to the upper ends ofthe brackets 51. The links 58 extend upwardly and are pivotallyconnected at their upper ends to alternative straw-walker bars l1. Eachfront link 59 has in its upper portion an elongated slot and arespective pivot pin extends through each corresponding walker bar andthrough the slot in each link 53 to pivotally connect the walker bars tothe links. Each walker bar is supported by two linkscarried by the samesub-frame and aligned forwardly and rearwardly with each other. The rearlinks 58 are longer than the front links 59 so that the walker bars areinclined rearwardly and upwardly, as is particularly illustrated inFigure 1.

Spaced-apart, upstanding brackets 68 are secured to the rear end-wall 54of the inner or second sub-frame [6 in uniformly, spaced-apartrelationship, and rear links 5| are pivotally connected at their lowerends to the apertured upper ends of these rear brackets and at theirupper ends to corresponding walker bars I! interposed between the walkerbars supported by the bracket-and-link assemblies carried by the outersubframe I5. Brackets 62 extend upwardly and forwardly from the frontend-wall of the inner subframe 15, and front links 53 are pivotallyconnected at their lower ends to the apertured upper ends of respectivebrackets 62. Each front link 63 is provided near its upper end with anelongated, longitudinally-extending slot 64, and a respective pivot pin65 extends through the corresponding walker bar and the slot in the linkto pivotally secure the walker bar to the link. The slots and pins ofthe front links 59 are similar to the slot 64 and pin 65 of the frontlinks 63, and the pivot pins normally rest in the bottom ends of thecorresponding slots.

Each of the walker bars I! comprises a member of channel-shapedcross-section having a pair of spaced-apart, substantially parallelside-walls 66 and a bottom wall 51. The side-walls 66 are provided alongtheir upper edges with respective series of contiguous,rearwardly-directed serrations 68, and the bottom wall 61 is provided in"its upper surface with a series of contiguous, rearwardly-inclinednotches 69. The bottom wall 6'! may be formed of thick material and havedownward extensions Hi where the rear links 5| and 58 are connectedthereto, these extensions being recessed, as indicated at H, to providefor pivotal movement of the links relative to the walker bars. A similarconstruction may be provided for the attachment of the front links 59and 53 to the corresponding straw-walker bars.

A respective cable sheave 14 is mounted on the upper end of each forwardbracket 5'! and 62, and a respective cable 15 passes under each sheave14 and has one end connected to the pivot pm of the corresponding walkerbar ll. A respective coiled tension spring i9 is secured at one end tothe opposite end of the cable, and such spring has its end opposite thecable connected to the associated rear link 58 or iii to resilientlyurge the forward end of the walker bar downwardly with the pins 65 atthe bottoms of the corresponding slots 64.

With this arrangement, when the front end of one of the pick-up fingersIt strikes an obstruction or a sudden rise in theground, it may rise,lifting the front end of the corresponding walker bar, and pulling thecorresponding cable 15 around the sheave M, at the same time stetchingthe spring 16. After the obstruction or rise in the ground is passed,the spring returns the front end of the walker bar to its normalposition. The pick-up finger and walker-bar assemblies may moverearwardly against the tension of the corresponding springs 16, as Wellas upwardly, to avoid any shock to the mechanism. As the spring returnsthe walker-bar-and-finger assembly from a lifted and rearwardly-disposedposition to its normal operative position,the corresponding rear link 58or 6| contacts the rear edge of the link-receiving recess H in thewalker bar, and this provides a positive stop for forward movement ofthe walker-bar-and-pick-up finger assembly.

Each of the pick-up fingers l 8 comprises a body of channel-shapedcross-section having a pair of substantially parallel, spaced-apartside-walls 80, each provided along its uper edge with a series ofcontiguous, rearwardly-directed serrations 8i, and a bottom wall 82extending between the two side-walls at the lower edges of the latter.The bottom wall 82 has in its upper surface a series of contiguous,rearwardly-directed notches 83 for lifting small pieces of material andloose see onto the associated walker bar ll.

The two side-walls 80 are provided at corresponding ends witharcuately-curved end portions 84 provided substantially at their centersof curvature with apertures receiving a pivot pin 85 which also extendsthrough aligned apertures in the corresponding, adjacent ends of thesidewalls 56 of the walker bar H, to pivotally connect the pick-upfinger it at its rearward or proximal end to the forward end of thestrawwalker bar. A coiled torsion spring 86 surrounds the pin 85 betweenthe side-walls of the walker bar and has a loop 8! bearing against thebottom wall of the pick-up finger, and ends 88 bearing against thebottom wall of the walker bar to re-- siliently urge the pick-up fingerto its normal position in which it constitutes a substantiallyuninterrupted continuation of the walker bar. Relative spring-inducedmovement between the pick-up finger and the walker bar is limited bycontact of the adjacent ends of the bottom walls 6'! and 82 of thewalker bar and the pick-up finger, which bottom-wall ends constituteshoulders cooperating to limit relative movement of the pick-up fingerand walker bar in the corresponding direction. At the distal end of thepickup finger the side-walls 80 have their ends so inclined to thedirection of the bottom wall 82 that these ends are substantiallyparallel to the surface of the ground upon which the windrow pick-upmachine is supported, and the bottom wall is provided at its lower endwith a curved, rearwardly-directed extension 89 aligned with theadjacent ends of the side-walls to provide a ground-bearing foot whichis substantially parallel to the surface of the ground and supports thepick-up finger against digging into the ground.

A generally triangular gusset plate 90 is inserted in a slot provided inthe curved, lower end portion of the bottom wall 82 substantiallymid-way between the side-walls 88, and is disposed substantiallyparallel to the side Walls. This plate 90 not only reinforces the foot89 of the pick-up finger, but extends somewhat forwardly of this foot toassist in pickin up small pieces of material from the. ground.

The operation of the pivotally-mounted pickup finger is diagrammaticallyillustrated in Figure 4 where the finger is shown in contact at itslower end with an obstruction, such as a stone. As the correspondingwalker bar is moved forwardly and upwardly after the pick-up finger hasbeen brought into contact with the ground, the corresponding pin 55 willbe at the bottom of the slot 64 in the respective front link 63, andthere is relatively little give or resiliency to the walker bar underthese conditions, the slot 64 being provided to provide a limited amountof resiliently resistant lost motion between the walker bars and thecranks l3 and It, so that the cranks may continue to rotate, even thoughthe walker bars are stopped short of their full downward movement bycontact of the pick-up fingers with the ground. The bottom end of thepick-up finger is brought into engagement with an obstruction, asillustrated in Figure l, upon forward and upward movement of the walkerbar, and under these conditions the front end of the pick-up finger willmove downwardly and rearwardly relative to the front-end portion of thewalker bar against the force of spring 85, so that the pick-up fingermay be carried upwardly until it clears the obstruction. As soon as thebottom end of the pick-up finger has cleared the obstruction, the springas will immediately return the pick-up finger to its normal, operativeposition relative to the corresponding strawwalker bar.

This provides a necessary give or resiliency in the walker-bar andpick-up finger assemblies under conditions which might otherwise breakor seriously damage the walker bars.

It will be noted that the walker bars are curved somewhat downwardlynear their forward ends, which shape of the walker bars positions theassociated pick-up fingers so as to materially facilitate thedisengagement of the fingers from a ground-carried obstruction, as thefingers are moved relative to the walker bars against the force ofspring 86.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. embodiment is,therefore, to be considered in all The present ing a bar ofchannel-shaped cross-section having spaced-apart, substantially parallelsidewalls each provided in its upper edge with a series ofrearwardly-directed, contiguous serrations, and a bottom wall providedin its upper surface with a series of rearwardly-directed, contiguousnotches, a pick-up finger of channelshaped cross-section havingspaced-apart, substantially parallel side-walls each provided in itsupper edge with a series of rearwardlydirected, contiguous serrationsand each pivotally connected at one end to the adjacent end of acorresponding side-wall of said bar, and a bottom wall provided in itsupper surface with a series of rearwardly-directed, notches, and aspring connected between said bar and said pick-up finger urging saidfinger forwardly and upwardly relative to said bar.

2. A straw-walker bar and pick-up finger assembly for a windrow pick-upmachine comprising a bar of channel-shaped cross-section havingspaced-apart, substantially parallel sidewalls each provided in itsupper edge with a series of rearwardly-directed, contiguous serrations,and a bottom wall provided in its upper surface with a series ofrearwardly-directed, contiguous notches, a pick-up finger ofchannelshaped cross-section having spaced-apart, substantially parallelside-walls each provided in its upper edge with a series ofrearwardly-directed, contiguous serrations and each pivotally connectedat one end to the adjacent end of a corresponding side-wall of said bar,and a bottom wall provided in its upper surface with a series ofrearwardly-directed, contiguous notches, and

a spring connected between said bar and said pick-up finger urging saidfinger forwardly and upwardly relative to said bar, said bar and saidfinger having cooperating shoulders thereon -limiting spring-inducedmovement of said finger relative to said bar.

3. A straw-walker bar and pick-up finger assembly for a windrow pick-upmachine comprising a bar of channel-shaped cross-section havingspaced-apart, substantially parallel side-walls each provided in itsupper edge with a series of rearwardly-directed, contiguous serrations,and a bottom wall provided in its upper surface with a series ofrearwardly-directed, contiguous notches, a pick-up finger ofchannel-shaped cross-section having spaced-apart, substantially parallelside-walls each provided in its upper edge with a series ofrearwardly-directed, con- "tiguous serrations and each pivotallyconnected at one end to the adjacent end of a correspondi ing side-wallof said bar, and a bottom wall provided in its upper surface with aseries of rearwardly-directed, contiguous notches, and a springconnected between said bar and said pick-up finger urging said fingerforwardly and upwardly relative to said bar, adjacent ends of the bottomwalls of said finger and said bar constituting shoulders limitingspring-induced movement of said finger relative to said bar to arelative position in which said finger constitutes an operativecontinuation of said bar.

4. A straw-walker bar and pick-up finger assembly for a windrow pick-upmachine comprising a bar of channel-shaped cross-section havingspaced-apart, substantially parallel side-walls each provided in itsupper edge with a series of contiguous rearwardly-directed, contiguousserrations, and a bottom wall provided in its upper surface with aseries of rearwardly-directed, contiguous notches, a pick-up finger ofchannel-shaped cross-section having spaced-apart, substantially parallelside-walls each provided in its upper edge with a series ofrearwardly-directed, contiguous serrations and each pivotally connectedat one end to the adjacent end of a corresponding side-wall of said bar,and a bottom wall provided in its upper surface with a series ofrearwardly-directed, contiguous notches, and a spring connected betweensaid bar and said pick-up finger urging said finger forwardly andupwardly relative to said bar, said finger having the ends of itsside-walls at its distal end inclined in accordance with the inclinationof said bar when operatively mounted in a windrow pick-up machine sothat said side-wall ends are substantially parallel to the ground, andhaving at its distal end a rearwardly-directed bottom-wall extensionsubstantially in alignment with the ends of said side-walls.

5. A straw-walker bar and pick-up finger assembly for a windrow pick-upmachine comprising an elongated walker bar of channel-shapedcross-section mountable in a forwardly and downwardly-inclined positionon a windrow pickup machine, a pick-up finger of channel-shapedcross-section pivotally secured at one end to the forward end of saidbar, and a spring connected between said bar and said finger resilientlyurging said finger to a position relative to said bar in which saidfinger constitutes an uninterrupted continuation of said bar, the distalend of said finger being movable downwardly and rearwardly relative tosaid bar upon contact of the distal end of said finger with anobstruction.

6. A straw-walker bar and pick-up finger assembly for a windrow pick-upmachine comprising an elongated walk-er bar of channel-shapedcross-section mountable in a forwardly and downwardly-inclined positionon a windrow pickup machine, a pick-up finger of channel-shapedcross-section pivotally secured at one end to the forward end of saidbar, and a spring connected between said bar and said finger resilientlyurging said finger to a position relative to said bar in which saidfinger constitutes an uninterrupted continuation of said bar, the distalend of said finger being movable downwardly and rearwardly relative tosaid bar upon contact of the distal end of said finger with anobstruction, said finger having a ground-engaging foot on the distal endthereof to support said finger against digging into the ground.

JOHN JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 637,639 Mischler Nov. 21, 1899770,390 Rundall Sept. 20, 1904 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date102,016 Great Britain 1916 5,802 Australia Jan. 23, 1933 mane-A

